Gun Control Advocate Shoots Intruder

What would you think if a long-time gun control advocate ended up shooting someone? Might the word “hypocrite” come to mind?

It did for me, and apparently for many others.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports North Carolina state senator R.C. Soles shot one of two intruders who attempted to break into his house.

But it gets even more interesting than the mere hypocrisy of a gun control activist shooting somebody.

The New York Times reports Soles won’t be seeking re-election, which is not a surprise since state prosecutors have said they plan to charge Soles because “he acted criminally when he shot a former law client.”

WWAY sheds additional light on this:

Thursday, a Columbus County grand jury found probable cause to seek an indictment against Soles for assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

In late August, Soles shot 22-year-old Kyle Blackburn outside the Senator’s home in Tabor City.

Blackburn was a client of Soles’ law firm. Soles told police he shot Blackburn in self-defense, saying that Blackburn was trying to break into his home. Blackburn told us he was leaving the property when he was shot.

While what happens within a grand jury proceeding is secret, we can presume that ballistics evidence was part of what was reviewed yesterday, specifically whether the bullet wound indicated that Blackburn was facing the Senator or running away when he was shot.

We also know surveillance cameras were running at Senator Soles’ house at the time of the shooting.

The shooting itself wasn’t captured on camera, but what transpired before and after the shooting may have helped the jurors determine how the events played out.